WHAT has been a disappointing season for Saints has now, thankfully, drawn to a close.

We survived, it is true, but what a truly awful debacle it was.

Without doubt, we were the most inconsistent team in the division and what every successful enterprise, sporting or commercial, needs is consistency.

The record over the last two seasons hardly seems credible: The worst sequence of losing games in Premier League history andthe worst defeat (9-0) in Premier League history - twice.

Beating Man City, beating Liverpool, beating Arsenal, beating Leicester, failing to get a single point against a nine-man Newcastle.

The list of highs and lows is interminable.

All these over and under achievements by a squad that has hardly changed over the period.

The fact that we have ended the current season in such a poor vein of form would suggest that we must be one of the favourites for relegation next term.

But who knows?

What is clear, in my view, is that the present manager and his support staff are failing to communicate any sort of message to the team.

The players appear to be lost, do we go forward, backward or sideways?

Is it a high press or not?

One thing is for sure, we cannot defend.

The second worst defensive record in the Premier League and that would shout out to me - we need a decent keeper,

That is number one on the agenda and I honestly believe that a top quality keeper would solve so many issues with the current defence.

Right now their confidence is shot because they just do not know how the keeper, McCarthy or Forster, is going to perform.

So Ralph, we can fiddle around with tactics and out-field personnel ad infinitum but as long as we retain these two goalies I think the problems will continue.

Yes, a left back is needed and cover for both full back positions and perhaps some minor tweaking but maybe, just maybe, a massive buying spree is not what is needed.

Just one excellent keeper and our nightmares could be over.

Of course, not easy, but they’re never as expensive as strikers and the investment must be made. So, bite the bullet, do it.

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